Shoe having combined counter support and insole



Aug. 25, 1964 c. PETALAS 3,145,436,

v SHOE mvmc COMBINED COUNTER SUPPORT AND msou:

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1961 Aug. 25, 1964 $145,486,

SHOE HAVING COMBINED COUNTER SUPPORT AND INSOLE Filed May 11, 1961 V c. PETALAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and more particularly, although not exclusively, to the manufacture of ladies shoes.

The manufacture of shoes, it will be appreciated, is a relatively complex process involving a number of independent steps performed by one or more operatives. In the mass production of shoes in order to maintain production costs at as low a level as possible, it is clearly 5 desirable to reduce the number of and simplify these independent steps so as not only to shorten the production period but to avoid the use of complex and costly machinery. It has been found moreover that the most skilled and lengthy operations during the manufacture of shoes are those performed while the shoe is on the last, i.e. during lasting. If therefore, the manufacturing process is to be shortened and simplified it is desirable to eliminate or at least curtail certain of the steps performed while the shoe is being lasted.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved manner of manufacturing shoes which is such that the manufacturing process is simplified and is thus shortened.

The present invention accordingly consists in a shoe embodying a combined counter support and insole member of such dimensions as to extend from the heel to a point adjacent the ball of the foot, an upper member 10- cated upon said combined, counter-support and insole 1 member and secured to at least the base portion of said insole member, a heel secured to the heel supporting portion of said member and an outer sole secured to said member.

The invention also consists in a method of manufacturing a shoe as set forth in the preceding paragraph which method includes the steps of cutting, sewing and shaping the upper of the shoe, locating the formed upper on the combined counter-support and insole member, locating the assembled upper and combined counter-support and insole member on an extensible last, extending the last so as to tension the upper, securing the lower edge of the upper to the base of the combined counter-support and insole member, securing a heel to the combined counter-support and insole member and applying an outer sole to the upper member and combined counter-support and insole member.

One mode of carrying the present invention into effect will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which illustrate the component parts, during assembly, of a ladys shoe and constructed according to the present invention and in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the combined countersupport and insolve member of a shoe according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the combined countersupport and insole member;

FIGURE 3 is an inverted plan view of the assembled leather upper and lining of the shoe;

FIGURE 4 is a front perspective view of the leather upper and the lining with the combined counter-support and insole member located therebetween, a fore insole being shown secured to the front edge of the said member;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the heel of the shoe and its locating screw;

3,145,486 Patented Aug. 25., 1964 "ice FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of-the shoe lasted and with the heel and outer sole applied;

FIGURE 7 is an inverted plan view of the assembled shoe;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the last employed in the manufacture of shoes according to this invention, the last being shown in its open condition; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the last in which the heel portion is in engagement with the face portion.

As shown, the heel portion or counter of the upper which may be leather, plastic or other suitable material of ladies shoes according to the present invention is supported by a relatively hard combined counter-support and insole member or stiffener 1. The member 1 is con structed from appropriately shaped leather or from injection moulded synthetic plastic material. Base portion 2 of the member 1 is shaped to conform to the base of the heel of the foot of a wearer of the shoe and with the arch of the foot. The term arch refers to the part of the foot between the ball and the heel. Unlike conventional stifieners it extends from under the heel to a point adjacent the ball of the foot, that is to say to adjacent the point at which the foot flexes during walking. More specifically, the counter-support and insole memher is of such length as to overlie only the heel and shank portions of the shoe. Sides 3 of the member 1 at their junction with the base portion 2 are rounded so as to conform with the shape of the foot and are of relatively greater thickness and rigidity than the upper portions of the sides 3 which are skived in the conventional manner. In other words, the sides 3 embrace the heel and the longitudinal arch of the foot. The rear upper edges of the sides 3 are bent inwardly as shown more particularly in FIGURE 1, in order snugly to fit the shape of the heel of the foot of the wearer. The forward ends of the upper edges of the sides 3 are relatively flexible and slope forwardly and downwardly to the front edge of the member 1 in order solely to embrace the heel and the arch of the foot and so as not to stiffen the leather upper over the instep of the foot of the wearer.

Shoe upper 4 is of conventional form and comprises soft leather or equivalent material sewn and heat molded in the closing room or the stations at which the preparation, fitting together and securing of the various cut sections to produce the completed upper are effected so as to conform to the desired shape and design of the shoe. The heel and toe are formed prior to application to the last as described below. The shoe lining leather or equivalent material 5 is attached to the inner edge of the upper 4 by stitching and backing tape if required.

A last 6, employed during the manufacture of shoes according to the present invention, as shown more particularly in FIGURES 8 and 9 is formed in two portions, a fore portion 7 and a heel portion 8. The fore portion 7 has two rearwardly directed spaced apart guide pins 9 projecting therefrom which engage in apertures formed in the heel portion 8. A slotted plate It) is secured at one end to the upper surface of the fore portion 7 by a screw 11. At its other end the plate 10 is formed with an elongated slot 12 in which engages a screw 13 secured to the heel portion 8. The arrangement is such that the portions '7 and 8 of the last may be urged away from one another and by tightening the screw 13, the last portions are locked in their new relative positions with the length of the slot 12 determining the maximum possible degree of relative movement of the last portions.

In order to assemble the shoe, the combined countersupport and insole member 1 is located between the upper 4 and lining 5, the upper rear edge of the member 1 being placed in engagement with the joint between the upper 4 and lining 5. The assembled upper 4 and the member 1 "are "then placed on the last arenas-e 'and the latter is longitudinally extended so as to tension the leather upper. A fore insole comprises a component or an insole component which does'not extend rearwardly beyond the ball of the foot of relatively softleather'which is then placed on the'fore portion 'Tof the last 6. Thefore insole 14 is secured by cement to the forward edge of the member 1, as

shown in FIG. 4. Lower edge 15 ofthe upper 4 is then cemented to the bottom side of the combined countersupport and insole member 1 and to the fore insole 14, the edge 15 being pulled so as to tension the leather up- I per on the last while the cement is setting.

'shoe.

After the upper has been secured the bottom is rough- "cried and a heel 16 is'applied. The heel is of conventional shape and may be of synthetic plastic, bone, metal or other suitable material; "side with a metai threaded socket 17 whereby it can be It is provided in its upper secured'to the shoe by a screw 18. A suitable plug P ments. For example, if desireda reinforcing. plateZZ may be embedded in the base.2 of the combined counter-support and insole member-1 in order to reinforce the arch supporting portion of the base. The plate 22 may be of metal or bone and may be provided with an eye 23 through which the'screw 18 is adapted to be screwed into the heel 16. If the combined counter support and insole member 1 is of injection moulded'syn'thetic plastic material, the reinforcing plate 22 would be of-metal and would be embedded in the plastic'material during moulding. Also if desired a triangular reinforcing plate 24 may be provided in the toe of the shoe in order to prevent curling of the later, the plate being located between the fore of conventional form is provided in the base of the shank of the heel whereby a top lift 19 may be secured. The heel is suitably covered in the conventional manner with a leather upper or the like prior to application to the provided in the heel portion 3 of the last in order to permit entry of the screw 18 and of the screwing tool, and

' the slot 12 in the plate It) being formed with an enlarged 1 portion 20a in registry with the bore 20.

' When the heel has been applied, outer sole 21 is ceor the heel 16 as shown in FIGURE 6 by a press in the conventional manner, the sole 21 and heel then being trimmed and finished in the conventional manner.

The shoe is then removed from the last by loosening the screw 13 so that the portions 7 and 3 may be moved toward each other and a sock may then be secured by cementing in order to complete the shoe.

' It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention provides a manner of manufacturing shoes which is' such that the number of steps performed while the shoe is lasted is curtailed to a minimum in relation to conventional methods of manufacturing shoes. For

example, in the conventional method of manufacturing shoes, the upper after it has been located on the last must be pulled-over by a pulling-over machine and side lasted, back lasted and toe lasted by machine. Also the heel mustbe secured by tacks by a tack-heel machine. However, in the present invention by combining the counter-support and insole member these steps are eliminated thus reducing the length of manufacture and reducing the In order toapply the heel, the screw 18 is screwed through the combined counter-support and insole memi'be'r 1 into the metal threaded socket 17, a bore 20 being mented to the bottom of the shoe and to the forward edge insole 14 and the outer sole 21.

Whatl claim is: a

In a shoe structure of the type having heel, shank and toe portions, and comprising? a combined countersupport and insole member, said counter-support and insole member including a base,sides, a junction between the base and sides and a front edge, said counter-support and insole member being of such length as to overlie only the heel and shank portions of said shoe, said sides of said combined counter-support and insolemember also being adapted to encircle the heel and thelongitudinal arch of a wearers foot and having a portionsloping downwards towards the front edge of said counter-support and insole member, the materialof said counter-support and insole member adjacent the junction between said base and sides being relatively rigid and the material of the portion sloping downwards being relatively flexible, afore insole of fiexible material secured to the front edge of said countersupport and insole member for completing the shoe insole, an upper of flexible material having upper and lower edges, a lining secured to theupper edge. of said upper with the sides of said combined counter-support and insole member being located between the upper and the lining, means securing the lower edge of said upper to the 'COUHICI-SUPPOllZ and insole member and tothe fore insole,

a heel attached'to that 'portion of the counter-support and insole member overlying the heel portion of said shoe,

a reinforcing plate underlying said fore insole for preventing curling'of the toe. portion of'said-shoe, and an outer sole secured to the counter-support and insole member and to the fore insole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

